Cable splicing



Feb. 2, 1960 c. H. STEVENS, JR 2,923,761

' CABLE SPLICING Filed D80. 11, 1956 FIG.I

United States Patent CABLE SPLICING Charles H. Stevens, Jr., Cornwall Bridge, Conn., assignor to J. B. Nottingham & Co., Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application December 11, 1956, Serial No. 627,676

7 Claims. (Cl. 174-88) This invention relates to improvements in splicing techniques and more particularly to an improved form of splicing core.

Splicing cores are utilized in joining conductors and are particularly useful in joining multi-wire conductors to rapidly and easily produce a splice having good strength and which is water tight. Conventional cores embody an elongate cylinder of insulating material having a plurality of longitudinally extending slits along its outer surface. In use, the bared ends of the wires are joined leaving a sulficient space between the ends of the outer insulation for the wires to receive the core therebetween with the wires being disposed within the slits or channels. As a practical matter, the aforementioned outer insulation is spaced apart slightly more than the length of the core so that some spacing is had between at least one end of the core and the insulation end. This produces a potential weak spot in the splice for it permits the conductor to bend easily at this point so that the wires are prone to break and contact each other in this area even though an outer insulating sleeve surrounds the core and the adjacent outer insulation ends. It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an improved form of splicing core which permits the ends of the outer insulation of two conductors to be joined, to be closely abutted against the opposite ends of the core so as to obviate potential weak points.

Another object of this invention is to provide an im proved splicing core which obviates the necessity for joining the bared conductor ends before the core is inserted in place, the core itself including means whereby the conductors are electrically connected.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved splicing core which permits multi-wire conductors to be easily and rapidly spliced.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved splicing core incorporating a plurality of metallic tubes within an insulating core with the core being provided with annular grooves exposing portions of the tubes to permit the tubes to be crimped upon bared ends of wires inserted thereinto so that the same may be easily and rapidly joined or spliced.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved form of splicing core which permits the terminal ends of conductors to be engaged intimately against the ends of the core when such ends of conductors are to be joined, wherein there is no discontinuity in insulation throughout the length of the splice core and the adjoining ends of the conductors, thus obviating subsequent short circuiting.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be re- 2,923,761 Patented Feb. 2, 1960 ICC sorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section showing a splice formed with the improved splicing core of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the splice shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a semi-exploded perspective view of the improved splicing core;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially along the plane of section line 44 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the plane of section line 5-5 in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 6 is a partial sectional view of a modified form of construction.

As shown in the drawings, the hereinafter described splicing core is utilized to join the two conductors 10 and 11, each of which may be of the type shown more clearly in Fig. 2 wherein there is provided an outer sheath 12 of protective material, such as tarred paper or fabric and an inner insulating core 13 which serves to space the several insulated wires 14 and maintain the same in isolated relationship to each other and prevent electrical breakdown of the insulation between the wires. In the specific embodiment of the invention shown, a three wire conductor is utilized.

In practicing the invention, the ends of the conductors which are to be joined are cut back as shown most clearly in Fig. 2 to expose lengths of the wires 14 and the terminal portions of such wires as indicated by the reference character 15 are bared preferably leaving the portion of their insulation 16 projecting beyond the ends of the conductors.

The improved core is designated generally by the reference character 17 as is shown most clearly in Fig. 3 and incorporates an elongate cylindrical body 18 preferably made of soft rubber or the like and which is provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending bores 19 which extend the full length of the body and open on the opposite ends thereof. In the case of a core for a three wire conductor, there will, of course, be three such longitudinal bores 19. Each bore receives an elongate tube 20 which is co-extensive in length with the body 18. The tubes may be either embedded within the material of the body 18 when the body is formed or they may be inserted within the longitudinal bore 19 after the body is formed, as desired.

The body 18 is provided with annular grooves 21 and 22 spaced inwardly from the opposite ends thereof and which grooves are of such depth as to expose a portion of each of the tubes 20 to permit the tubes to be crimped upon the bared conductors as will be described later.

In using the improved core, as previously described, the ends of the wires 14 are bared as at 15 to leave small portions of their insulation 16 exposed and each of such wires is projected into a corresponding tube 20, making sure that the exposed end 15 of the Wire extends throughout the exposed portion of its associated tube. When the three wires of one conductor are thus inserted within the associated tubes 20, a suitable crimping tool is employed to crimp the exposed portions of the tubes into intimate contact with the bared ends 15 of the wires, as most clearly shown in Fig. 5 wherein the crimping is designated by the reference characters 23 and 24. The other conductor is then prepared in a similar manner and it is projected in the opposite ends of the corresponding tubes and the tubes are crimped so that the continuity between the separated ends of the wires is accomplished through the individual tubes.

- Thus, when the splice is completed, the ends of the insulating material 13 of each conductor are closely contacted with and abutted against the opposite ends of the core body 18 so that there is no break in insulating material around the various wires 14 and hence even if a wire will subsequently break, it cannot become shorted against any of the other wires, as will be readily apparent.

Of course, before the two conductors are joined, a sleeve 25 is slipped over one of them and after the core is in place and the conductors are joined in the manner previously described, the sleeve is slipped over the core in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2 so that the opposite tapered ends 26 and 27 thereof project on opposite sides of the core body 18 and surround terminal end portions of the conductor sheaths 12. Thereafter, theopposite ends of the sleeve 25 may be wrapped with rubber insulating tape and this tape is vulcanized both to the ends of the sleeve and to the outer surface of the conductors which it surrounds to form a water tight protective covering for the ,core. Alternatively, the sleeve 25 may be vulcanized directly to the insulation of the conductor.

Preferably, as is shown most clearly in Fig. 2, the opposite ends of the tubes 20 are belled or beveled as is indicated by the reference character 28 to permit the ends of the wires to be easily inserted into the tube, as will be readily apparent.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6, the soft rubber core 29 has molded therein a suitable number of tubes 30, each of which is shorter than the core and has its opposite ends terminating short of the corresponding ends of the core. Also, the ends of each tube are belled or flared outwardly as indicated by the reference character 31 for the tube 29 and the opposite end portions of the core which extend beyond the tubes are provided with passageways or bores 32 coaxial with the individual tubes and extending thereto from the ends of the core. These bores are of such a diameter as to snugly receive the insulation 33 immediately surrounding the individual conductors 34 and the tubes are preferably of substantially the same diameter so that their belled ends 31 interlockingly engage within the body of the core 29. Additionally, the belled ends 31 serve to permit the bared ends of the conductors to be easily inserted.

It is to be understood that although the body 18 is preferably made of rubber, other suitable substances can be used. For example, synthetic or natural rubbers as well as suitable plastics or the like can be used to advantage.

I claim:

1. A splicing core comprising an elongate body of insulating material having longitudinal passageways extending completely therethrough, an elongate deformable, metallic tube disposed within each of said passageways, and said body having a recess therein adjacent to'each end thereof, each recess extending transversely of the tubes to a depth greater than the diameter of the tubes and beyond the diametric centers of the tubes whereby the tubes may be grasped in the recess at diametrically opposite locations and crimped upon bared ends of conductors disposed therein.

2. A splicing core comprising an elongate cylindrical body of soft rubber havinga plurality of parallel, circumferentially spaced longitudinal bores therethrough and each opening upon the opposite ends of the body, an elongate copper tube disposed within each of said bores, and said body havinga circumferential groove adjacent each end thereof intersecting all of said bores to a depth where a major circumferential portion of each of said tubes adjacent the opposite ends thereof projects into the groove and may be grasped and compressed from dia: metrically opposite sides in the groove. I

3. A splicing core according to claim 1 wherein each tube terminates short of the opposite ends of the body and the ends of each tube are belled to anchor the same within said body.

4. A splicing core comprising an elongate cylindrical body of soft rubber, said body including acentral portion and opposite end portions, all of the same outer diameter, with the end portions being spaced from the opposite ends of the central portion and joined thereto by cylindrical intermediate portions of-smaller diameter than the central and end portions, each intermediate portion being provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending and equidistantly circumferentially spaced .arcuate grooves with corresponding grooves in the two intermediate portions being in longitudinal alignment, and there being a plurality of bores extending longitudinally through the central and end portions of the body in alignment with each other and with said grooves to define a plurality of continuous passageways completely through the body, and a metal tube disposed in each passageway and having its opposite ends projecting into said end portions of the bodyso that a major circumferential portion of each tube is exposed at each end thereof in the regions of the tube lying in said grooves betweenthe spaced ends of the central and end portions of the body.

5. A splicing core comprising an elongate cylindrical body of insulating material of substantialy uniform outer diameter and having a circumferentiaily extending groove disposed in inwardly spaced relation from each of its ends providing an intermediate body portion and opposite end portions separated by said grooves, said body also 7 having a plurality of longitudinally extending passage- Ways th'erethrough disposed in circumferentially spaced relation and each intersecting both of said groves, ainetallic tube disposed in each of said passageways and having its opposite ends confined within the opposite end portions of the insulating body, the opposite ends of each tube being flared and embedded within said opposite end portions of the insulating body defining the passageway portions therein so that each tube isinterlockin'gly engaged with the insulating body, and said passageways be ing so located in said insulating body as to expose a major circumferential portion of each tube within said grooves.

6. A splicing core comprising an elongate cylindrical body of insulating material having a pair of circumferentially extending grooves therein to define an intennediate body portion and opposite end portions separated by said grooves, said body also having a plurality of circumferentially spaced and longitudinally extending passageways extending completely therethrough and opening upon opposite ends of the body, each of said passageways intersecting both of said grooves and defining 'longitu dinally extending arcuate troughs within that portion of the insulating body defining the bottoms of said grooves, an elongate metallic tube disposed in each passageway and projecting completely through each groove within the trough formed therein so as to expose a major circumferentially continous and uninterrupted portion of each tube within each groove.

7. In a splice joining two conductors each having a plurality of individual current-carrying wires embedded within an outer insulating sheath with the wire ends to be .joinedprojecting beyond the ends of the insulating sheaths,

an elongate splicing core formed of insulating material and having a plurality of longitudinal passageways extending completely therethrough and having its opposite ends engaged against the opposed ends of theconductoi sheaths, a metallic current conductor disposed in each passageway and having opposite tubular ends having disposed therein bared ends of corresponding wires of each conductor, said core having a slot therein and directed therearounjd adjacent the opposite ends thereof, saidslots .intersecting said passageways and each having a circumferentially continuous and uninterrupted major portion of a tube extending into the slot, the said portion of the tube being deformed inwardly at diametricallyopposed m nt thereon to clampingly engage the individual .wires 5 6 of the two conductors so as to electrically connect the References Cited in the file of this patent same and hold the aforementioned ends of the core in UNITED STATES PATENTS abutting relation to the conductor sheath whereby the 5 7 5 Thomas Man 19, 1946 Wires are continuously surrounded by insulation in the 2,639,312 Kerwin May 19, 1953 region of the splice, and an outer insulating sleeve sur- 5 2,774,810 Ritter 18, 1956 rounding said core and of such length as to project beyond the opposite ends thereof to surround adjcacent FOREIGN PATENTS end portions of said insulating sheaths, the opposite ends 640,890 Great Britain Aug. 2, 1950 of said sleeve being sealingly joined to the conductors. 986,385 France Mar. 21, 1951 

